About how he came to work for ISRO and how 
came to be
came to be- Dr Pillai wanted to join tamil nadu electricity board after college, a chance encounter with Sarabhai made him choose ISRO instead.
- He talks about how Dr Kalam always wanted India to be first. Dr Kalam talked about how we launched rockets, were seventh in the world, built nukes and were sixth in the world. Dr Kalam wanted everyone to think big
- Gulf war woke up DRDO scientists towards air defence (patriot missiles) and cruise missiles. While building cruise missiles, they wanted something that would make India the first in the world.
- Russia had a supersonic engine, and India had mastered guidance and control based on their experience building prithvi missiles, so Idea was to combine the two to make a supersonic cruise missile
- India didnt have the money to fund such a joint venture, so Dr Pillar made over 100 visits to Russia to negotiate payment in kind (tea, textiles etc), Russians were reluctant initially and finally agreed.
- He talks about how long the approval phase is, DRDO scientists need to write up a big document outlining what they want to do, then a science committee approves it, then finance ministry needs to approve it, then (he mentiones a few more commitees) then it goes to finance secretary, finance minister and after that goes to cabinet committee on security. Dr Kalam and Dr Pillai felt this process was too cumbersome (he made a funny statement about how they did not want to get approvals for a supersonic missile at subsonic speed)
- They used a special rule, whereby the PM alone has the power to greenlight some projects, PVNR was very supportive, approved it. MMS (the then finance minister) also approved it the next day. He says the project got approved in 2 days instead of years.
- The proposal was a JV between India and Russia with 51% - 49% split, but Dr Pillai and Dr Kalam wanted 50.5% and 49.5%, that way will be a private company and not a PSU. PVNR was supportive
- He says that this decision was the key, they didnt have to answer to CAG, or face numerous inquiries, audits and interference from IAS babus, keep the project secret and could solely focus on the work.
- Talks about meticulous project planning, how they indentified 200 critical technologies, came with a strategy of each of them (collaborative development with industry, sourcing from industry, funding development etc)
- They built and flew the missile in 3 years, start to finish
- Weight is 3 tonnes, range was 300kms. After India signed MTCR, range was increased in software to 600kms.
- He talks about the differences between anti ship (radar seeker, with INS) and land attack (INS, and satellite position controlled)
- During development phase, DRDO tried to track it using radar, but couldnt.
- Russians were angry that India repurposed what was essentially a ship-to-ship missile into a anti-ship, land attack, air launched, land to ship etc missiles.
- Dr Pillai wanted to build into air launched version. Russia demanded $250M and complete workshare, Dr Pillai decided India should do it, to build knowhow and flexibility in design. Russians got angry, Medvedev (Russian president) complained to MMS about Dr Pillai, and threatened to hold up Sukhoi spares. MMS asked Dr Pillai to cooperate with the Russians, for which Dr Pillai refused. A committee was formed to inquire into this matter, but Dr Pillai convinced Shiv Shankar Menon and Air Chief Marshal Browne that doing it in India was important. Then MMS was supportive, and aerospace built the air launched version.
- Dr Pillai says "russians did a lot of things to thwart this"
- Russians withheld Sukhoi codes and knowhow needed for integration, aerospace reverse engineerd what they needed.
- NG that DRDO is building will be a true 300km missile (not a 600km missiled dressed up as a 300km), the weight will be massively reduced, so a Sukhoi can carry 3, and it can be carried by Tejas as well.
- Talks about a Mach 5 hypersonic version and a Mach 7 hypersonic version in the future.
- Dr Pillai points out that in 1971, each ship could carry 2 Styx missiles, now a ship can carry 16 better missiles with more kinetic energy, so image the destruction we can cause in their harbor and ships
- He says he is impressed by the way the armed forces employed brahmos, doing target selection, simultaneous attacks, and attack planning for maximum effect. Praised how the armed forces employed the weapon effectively and points out that weapons are just one part of war fighting.
- Talks about how aerospace is improving "coordination, planning/integration" even more among missile units.
- Recounts the well known incident with SLV3 launch failure, where Dhawan went in front of the press and took full responsibility, and how after SLV3 launch succeded, Dhawan asked Kalam to talk to the press and claim credit.
- Talks about PVNR and Vajpayee, how they were nationalists and how they were on the same page vis a vis India's defense
- Talks about how Dr Kalam was ready to retire at 60, Cho Ramaswamy (of Tuglag magazine fame) wanted Dr Kalam to be the vice chancellor of Madras university, which Dr Kalam agreed to. Dr Pillai who headed personnel at DRDO at that time, without telling Dr Kalam, Obtained an extention for Dr Kalam. Dr Kalam was upsent, and did not want political favors. Dr Pillai says how this turned out to be important for Nuke test because the extension made Dr Kalam scientific advisor to PM.
- Apparently Vajpayee wanted to make Dr Kalam into a cabinet minister, but Dr Kalam (and people like Dr Pillai) were afraid that politics would just ruin Dr Kalam. PVNR had told Vajpayee that "materials are ready, you should go ahead". and ABV wanted to test Nukes, Dr Kalam said instead of a cabinet minister he would like to finish the test as a scientific advisor. ABV ready agreed and said tests were more important than cabinet position
The shocking part - He goes on to say how politics ruins important people. Under MMS tenure, the cabinet had decided to dismiss bihar assembly, Dr Kalam who was president at that time, Dr Pillai etc were traveling internationally. Dr Pillai had advised Dr Kalam to go back to India and decide after consulting lawyers. Instead MMS kept calling, told Dr Kalam he was waiting in PM's office at 4am and was under intense pressure from above (!!
) and finally convinced Dr Kalam to agree.
- The decision was struck down by the supreme court as unconsitutional and Dr Kalam wrote a resignation letter. MMS realized that if Kalam resigned, since it was the cabinet who made the decision, MMS and the cabinet would need to resign. Persuaded Dr Kalam otherwise
- Then the parliament passed the "office of profit" law. With exceptions to Sonia gandhi and Somnath chatterjee. Again MMS kept calling and talking about "pressure from above" (!! ) Dr Kalam was careful this time, returned the bill and asked for a bill which treated everyone uniformly. However the parliament passed it again forcing him to sign it. Sonia gandhi became angry with Dr Kalam
- Dr Kalam said he was ready to serve a second term if there is unanimous agreement with everyone
- When time came to elect Dr Kalam as president for the second term, MMS called up Dr Kalam and said Sonia gandhi did not support his candidacy and congress party cannot support Dr Kalam for a second term
- BJP was strongly in favor of Dr Kalam and encourged him to contest
- Chidambaram called up Dr Pillai and told him that this would be an ugly fight, with congress party fighting tooth and nail and told him to advice Dr Kalam to withdraw and not get dragged through the mud
- Dr Kalam withdrew
Dr Pillai laments how India does not respect and celebrate great people that even the world respects and celebrates. Also mentioned the names of 2 people (I forget) from atomic energy commission who went into politcs and had their reputation ruined. Says "politics is not for people like us"
hypersonic cruise missile.
